Improvement in water-wheels



UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica JARED V. SMITH, OF MIDDLFJTOWIX, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS- I Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent No. 1M), H95, dated October b', 1863.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JARED XV. SMITH, of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State ot' Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved vVa.ter-\Vheel 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference beingI had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of my invention, taken in the line .fr r, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the liney y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This inventionrelates to an improved horizontal waterwheel; and it consists in having the inner side ofthe water-case which encompasses the wheel formed ot' india-rubber or othersuitable or elastic material, and arranged in such a manner with waterpassages and spherical rotating wheel-buckets as to operate in a very advantageous manner.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the watercase which encompasses the water-wheel, and which is of annular form and divided by a partition, a, into two annular compartments', b c, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. rIhe outer compartment, b, has an induction-opening, d, made into it, through which the water passes into b, and the water escapes from b into c through the Openings e e, which are at opposite points in f the water-case. One of these openings is shown in Fig. 2, and by the side ot' these openings there are abutments or cut-oi's f, which close the compartment c and compel the water to pass out through eduction-openings g, 011e of which is shown in Fig. 2.

B represents the shaft of the wheel, which has a vertical position, its lower end being stepped in a cross-bar, IL, in the lower part of a frame, C, in which the case A is placed.

The wheel D is composed of two sets of radial arms, i, attached to the shaft B, one set being directly over the other, and three arms in each set. Between these arms, n! ar their outer ends, there are itted vertical shaftsj, on which balls or spheres E are placed. These balls orspheres constitute the buckets, and they may be constructed wholly ot wood or metal and arranged in such a manner as to yield 0r give between the arms. In order to accomplish this, the ends of the shafts j may be tted in plates r, arranged to slide on the arms, the shafts passing through slots l in the arms, and the inner ends otl the plates 7c connected by an upright bar, m, through which horizontal pins u, attached to thc hubs o of the arms z', pass. Ou these arms spiral springs p are placed, which springs bear against the bars m and have a tendency to press the buckets against the inner side of the case A. (See Fig. 1.) A requisite degree of elasticity, however, might be obtained by having the outer portion ofthe buckets composed of india-rubber or other suitable elastic or yielding material, as shown in red in Fig. 2, the shafts j in this case being stationary. Theinner side, q, ofthe water-case A, which is the inner side ot' the compartment c, is formed ot' a strip of india rubber or other suitable elastic material, and the side of the partition a which is opposite the strip q is made of concave form, the curvature corresponding to that of the balls or buckets E. rlhe springs p or the elastic buckets, whichever are used, have a tendency to keep the buckets pressed against the elastic strip or side q ot' the compartment c, and the latter pressed against the concave side ofthe partition a.

From the above description it will be seen that the water does not act directly against the buckets, but in passing into the 'compartment c forces out the strip q directly behind thebuckets, and thus acts upon the latter, causing the wheel to rotate with a power due to the force ot' the water. The water is discharged i'roin the compartment c each time a bucket passes the eduction-openings g. A valve, F, may be fitted in each opening c, said valves having cranks k on their upper ends, and arranged with a spring or any equivalent device, so that the valves may be operated by a projection, l', on thc upper arms These valves are so arranged as to covcr or close the openings e while the buckets are passing over thc abutmentsf. I do not, however, deem their use indispensable, as the wheel will operate very well without them.

By this invention it is believed that a decided advantage is obtained overordinaryhorizontal wheels, as all the water that passes into the case A acts upon the buckets, there being no space around the buckets through which claim as new, und desire to secure by Letters water muy pass, and at the sume time tiere Potent, is is no friction to overcome, )roduced in the or- The annular case A, provided with a central dinnry wheels by n close fitting of buckets partition, a', of concave forni at its inner side, within the case or scroll. l and dividing the case into two compartments, My invention may be constructed at a modb c, which communicate with each other by crate cost, and there are no parts liable to get i openings e e, in combination with the elastic out ot' repair. The yielding` strip q may be L strip q, rotating buckets E of the wheel, and readily replaced by a new one, when necessary, l the discharge-openings q g, and with or withnt a tritling cost. i out the valves F, all arranged substantially as This water-wheel, like most other horizontal i and for the purpose specified.

ones may be used as pump the power being ,y

applied to the shaft B, the induetioii-opening i JARLD W' SMITH' d being the suction and the disehargeopenl, Witnesses:

ings g g the eduction or force openings. E. XV. N. STARR,

Having thus described my invention, what I I V. P. VINAL. 

